Harris will ring in the season this week with holiday cheer and much-needed support for numerous local non-profits with its Holiday Celebration.
Taking place Dec. 9 and 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the event includes an appearance from Chicago mascots Benny the Bull, Tommy Hawk, and Harris’ Hubert the Lion, as well as a raffle for Chicago Bulls, Blackhawks and Goodman Theatre tickets.
The celebration also features performances from the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and the Harris employee choir, a donation drive to support Toys for Tots, and a holiday bazaar with handmade wares from more than a dozen non-profits available for purchase – all taking place at Harris’ Chicago headquarters at 111 W. Monroe.
Guests can skip the stress of holiday shopping and feel good about purchasing gifts that support non-profits such as The Enterprising Kitchen, Urban Meadows, Chicago Honey Co-op, Sweet Miss Giving’s Bakery, and El Valor. Items for sale range from pet toys to vintage decor to artisanal jewelry and crafts to origami ornaments.
“We are so excited to be a part of the holiday bazaar,” said Lynne Cunningham, executive director of The Enterprising Kitchen, a non-profit social enterprise that produces natural spa products while providing workforce development and support services to women who are working toward self-sufficiency.
“It’s a wonderful way to share our story and our products with more people.”
“Harris hopes to start a new tradition of giving with the Holiday Celebration,” said Yasmin Bates-Brown, executive vice president, Community Affairs and Economic Development, Harris.
“By making it easy for our employees and customers to support non-profits, we hope to help these vital organizations raise funds while spreading the joyful spirit of the season.”
“Last year, Harris branches in Illinois and northwest Indiana collected over 30,000 toys for Toys for Tots,” added Justine Fedak, senior vice president and head of Marketing and Customer Strategies, Harris.
“Now in our ninth year of regional sponsorship, we’re aiming even higher, and we know we can’t reach our goal without the generosity of our employees and customers.”
Participating non-profits and sale items include:
- Anti-Cruelty Society – cards, pet toys
- BUILD, Inc. – handmade jewelry
- Chinese American Service League (CASL) – personalized calligraphy, origami ornaments
- Chicago Children’s Museum – gift shop items, memberships
- Chicago Honey Co-op – honey, beeswax candles, body products
- Common Threads – first edition of new cookbook
- El Valor – poinsettias, artwork, cards, bamboo plants
- The Enterprising Kitchen – natural soap and spa products
- Howard Brown – vintage holiday decor and gifts from the Brown Elephant store
- Lincoln Park Zoo – cards, ornaments, gifts, memberships
- Mitchell Museum of the American Indian – artisanal jewelry and crafts
- Sweet Miss Giving’s Bakery – gourmet baked goods
- Urban Meadows – plants, flowers, gift baskets
- Women Craft – handmade cards, paper, stationary
About Harris
Harris is an integrated financial service organization providing more than 1.2 million personal, business and corporate clients with banking, lending, investing and wealth management solutions.
The organization is a member of the BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO), which also provides corporate and investment banking services in the U.S. under the BMO Capital Markets name.
Harris® is a trade name used by various financial service subsidiaries of Harris Financial Corp. Banking products and services are provided by Harris N.A., The Harris Bank, N.A. and their bank affiliates, Members FDIC.
Brokerage products are offered through Harris Investor Services, Inc. (HIS), a registered broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, and SEC-registered investment adviser.